Feeling stigmatized by migraines?

In many cases, employers, relatives and friends dismiss migraine sufferers as malingerers who are unreliable or lazy because they need frequent breaks from responsibilities to recuperate. Photo Credit: Fotolia

In many cases, employers, relatives and friends dismiss migraine sufferers as malingerers who are unreliable or lazy because they need frequent breaks from responsibilities to recuperate. (Credit: Fotolia)

A migraine can really be a pain -- and not just for those who experience the headaches. In many cases, employers, relatives and friends dismiss migraine sufferers as malingerers who are unreliable or lazy because they need frequent breaks from responsibilities to recuperate.

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A migraine can really be a pain -- and not just for those who experience the headaches. In many cases, employers, relatives and friends dismiss migraine sufferers as malingerers who are unreliable or lazy because they need frequent breaks from responsibilities to recuperate.

"They're stigmatized just like people with seizures and fibromyalgia," or chronic fatigue syndrome, said Dr. Gopal Kishore, associate chief of neurology at St. Joseph Hospital in Bethpage. "They are told: 'You just have a headache. Why don't you take a Tylenol and come to work?' "

The reality, however, is that migraine headaches can be severely painful and disabling, often requiring people to take time away from their obligations.

"More than 90 percent of sufferers are unable to work or function normally during their migraine," Kishore said. "Migraine can and does interfere with their education, career and social activities."

More than 10 percent of the population experiences migraines, he said, although most don't seek medical care. "It's a severe, painful headache that is often preceded or accompanied by sensory warning signs such as flashes of light, blind spots, tingling in the arms and legs," he explained. "Other symptoms include facial numbness, blurry vision, nausea, vomiting and increased sensitivity to light and sound."

"Employers do form opinions based on how frequently migraines occur," he said. "They want people to be productive at work. If someone's constantly calling in sick, they get doubtful about whether they should continue working there."

STRATEGIES

Seek professional help quickly if you have a severe headache. "Don't wait for the headache to get worse," Kishore said. "When headaches are at their peaks, [some} patients need to go to the emergency room for intravenous pain medication and further testing, which may include brain scans." This will help rule out even more serious conditions, such as a stroke, that can cause symptoms similar to those of a severe migraine.

Keep track of when migraines occur in order to understand -- and avoid -- the triggers that cause them.

Be aware that migraines can make people especially vulnerable to depression, which can contribute to perceptions that they're lazy or unreliable. "For years, we believed that the only reason migraine sufferers were depressed was because they had bad headaches," Kishore said. "Today, we know much more about the brain chemistry and genetic differences that make migraine sufferers more susceptible to depression."

Talk to a doctor about treatments. Drugs are available to relieve acute headaches and to prevent them from happening in the first place. "The biggest thing we have nowadays is Botox, a headache treatment that works very well in certain patients," Sauter said.